Are You Leaving Me Again?
by Kusabi Makabe
Summary: What exactly happened before the Repentance? This is the tale of All God's Village in it's last days, mostly focusing on Yae and Sae's escape. I think. COMPLETE!
1. Welcome

**Are You Leaving Me Again?**

Okay…so I, KusabiMakabe, do not own…well, just about anything in this little story. Heck, even the story is based off of a story…the rights of these characters, plot, location, etc. belong to the incomparable Tecmo, and not to me.

And, in case I need to put this here, the game that this story is based on is _**Fatal Frame II**_, one of my favorite games of all time. So…here we go!

* * *

Ryozo Munakata surveyed the village warily. Even now, he felt something amiss, something sinister. Such superstitious nonsense was what he thrived on – after all, he was an apprentice folklorist – but that certainly didn't make him embrace danger. 

On the other hand, Seijiro Makabe, Ryozo's teacher, ate danger as though it were food. He scanned the village, looking at the homes, the people, and the mysterious stone slab on Misono Hill. After a few seconds, they started forward together.

Heads turned. Eyes stared. There were several murmurs that Ryozo pretended not to hear. Were they of praise and wonder, or of fear and loathing? His grip on his suitcase tightened. A ritual that was kept a secret from the world and something about twins and hair going white. The intrigue of it was what led them here.

They eventually reached what Ryozo inferred was the Ceremony Master's house. A tall man and his twin daughters – about seventeen or so, by the looks of them – stood outside the front door.

"Welcome, friends," the Ceremony Master said, "to All God's Village."

* * *

Sae Kurosawa sat in the Doll Room of her house. Clearly, she was unnerved – and why shouldn't she be, knowing what was going to happen? Her hands were shaking slightly, and her breathing was unnecessarily slow. 

Everything lived for it.

Everything died for it.

But why

_Even though we finally met_

did it have to be like that? Why did they have to live here, of all places? Why did she have to be here…?

Yae slowly walked over to her and sat down. "Sae?"

"Yes, sister?"

Yae licked her lips. "Itsuki says he knows the boy, Ryozo. He says that he may be willing to help us leave…"

Sae closed her eyes. The escape from All God's village had been something she hated to discuss; Yae knew it was best to keep this short.

"I want to help them. Let them leave with us, you know?"

Sae nodded. They couldn't leave the visitors to die while they ran to safety…

_You know there's another way._

After a few moments, Sae spoke:

"What should we do?"


	2. Deception

A teenage boy stood outside of Kurosawa Mansion. He was of medium height and build, and had short hair that was very obviously white. He wanted to go inside, wanted to see his old friend…but if they caught him talking to the newcomers this early, surely they would be suspicious, even for the wrong reasons? Wouldn't they think he was going to tell them about the Kusabi Ritual? And then they would make him a Mourner, and how much help would he be then?

No, he had to wait. Wait for a while, at least long enough to get the Priests at their ease.

Itsuki Tachibana hated waiting.

As Itsuki hovered outside of Kurosawa Mansion, Yae and Sae hovered inside. They stood over their father and the two newcomers conversing in the study. Yae had discovered a lovely little alcove that branched off of the Family Altar Room and poked into her father's study, and often used it for solitude. Now they used it to eavesdrop on their father's conversation with the folklorists.

"So…" Ryokan Kurosawa said, sitting back and smiling amiably at Seijiro Makabe. "I take it you are here to study my humble village?"

Ryozo looked a little uncomfortable at this term, but wasn't sure how to refute it. Seijiro, however, smiled back at the Ceremony Master.

"Yes, I suppose we are."

"May I suggest that you wait a few days before you begin asking questions?" Ryokan implored. _That's my father_, Sae thought. _Always to the point_.

"Of course!" Seijiro exclaimed. "We don't wish to be an annoyance, and I'm sure that most would find an immediate survey most irritating."

Ryozo remained silent.

"We want to get to know the people here," Seijiro continued. "It's the best way to get to know a culture. And, of course, meeting people is always rather fascinating." He grinned at Ryokan.

"That's good to hear. I was afraid that you were like the last group that came here. They talked incessantly…it made them very difficult to receive, I must say."

_You sure didn't mind hearing them scream_, Yae thought bitterly. In truth, she believed that he was grieved by that…but she was unhappy with him right now, and that naturally bred contempt.

"I understand that you are interested in witnessing one of our rituals," Ryokan said. Sae inhaled deeply, not wanting to hear this part.

"Yes…" Ryozo murmured. "We were hoping that perhaps we could be present."

"Of course, if you are uncomf-" Seijiro began, but Ryokan cut him off.

"We would love to have you at the ceremony! It would be…lovely." Ryokan smiled again, but Yae knew him well enough to see the intense effort being put forth behind it.

Sae shot her a look. "Please, Yae…let's go…"

Yae turned to her twin and nodded. Together they left the alcove, hoping that they could prevent the nightmare about to come…


	3. Crimson Kimono

I'm back!

All right – so I took a LOT longer than I thought I would. Go figure. I'd like to thank Kerrianne Harrington and Dying Redemption for reviewing - it was much appreciated : ). I may change the "Supernatural" to "Horror", 'cuz that might make more sense. After all…who wouldn't expect there to be supernatural elements in a Fatal Frame II fan fic? Whatever.

Oh, and I don't know Japanese formalities, so I'll be using...AMERICAN FORMALITIES! So don't be too upset when you see things like "Mister Makabe".

* * *

Ryokan stood in the center of Whisper Bridge, thinking, worrying. Tomorrow he was going to summon the villagers and hold a celebration in honor of the visitors. He tried to picture it in his mind's eye – how could they make it not seem flattering? Or maybe it would be easier if the folklorists believed that they were being worshipped. He shook his head, trying to unscramble his thoughts. How long would it take? They'd have to get comfortable…Ryozo would certainly take longer to drop his guard…not that he mattered, anyway, there only needed to be one

"Mister Kurosawa?"

He turned to face the speaker.

"Ah, good evening, Ryozo. Do you need something?"

Ryozo walked forward. "I was hoping that you could tell me where someone lives…a boy named Itsuki Tachibana."

Ryokan raised his eyebrows. This boy knew Itsuki? How was that possible? After a half-second, he smiled. "How do you know Itsuki?" he asked, praying that he did not sound alarmed.

"We met a long time ago," Ryozo said. Beyond that he would not elaborate.

"Well, Itsuki lives just across the bridge, in the house to your left. Have you met his sister, Chitose?"

Ryozo shook his head. "I haven't seen him in a very long time," his murmured. "I hoped that we could meet again, at least while I'm here…"

Ryokan nodded, satisfied. So Itsuki hadn't told him anything about their village. He wouldn't have known what they did until two or three years ago, at any rate. And surely he wasn't foolish enough to tell him _now_, not when they needed a Kusabi so badly…

After Ryozo departed, the Ceremony Master returned to his manor to begin the preparations.

* * *

The little girl started at the knock on the door. Visitors again! She scrambled over to the door leading to the entrance of the Tachibana house and peeked around the corner. Itsuki was greeting…the stranger! The stranger had come to their house! She closed the door silently with her trembling hand.

"Hide, hide, hide, hide, hide…" she whimpered to herself in a sort of mantra.

She scrambled to her feet and ran for the stairs. If she could get to the row of tatami rooms, she would be safe. The stranger couldn't possibly find her there, especially if she hid in the closet by the doll mechanism.

She reached the stairwell and began climbing. She tripped over herself several times, but managed to stay standing until she reached the top. She slowly made her way to the final tatami room and stumbled into the closet.

She closed her eyes and began to breathe steadily. Tears crept down her face. What if he found her hiding? She shook her head. "Stop being silly…"

She sat in the closet for thirty minutes, hoping that the stranger would leave soon. Why did they have to come here? There was going to be a ceremony tomorrow, and Itsuki would have to leave her all alone at the house…

She finally mustered up the courage to open the closet door. She walked over to a picture on the wall and began staring at it – Itsuki, Mutsuki, and herself. To this day, Itsuki hadn't told her where Mutsuki was. Why had he left them? They had been so happy together…

When she heard the front doors close, she let out a sigh of relief. He was finally gone…

Chitose Tachibana returned to the ground floor to find her brother.

* * *

In All God's Village, there were two graveyards – one for the "normal" dead, and one for the "special" dead – the Remaining. The Remaining were enshrined in an old tree by the shrine, as a monument to their lives.

This cemetery, while special, was not spectacular. The gravestones where small rocks inscribed with the Remaining's name. Several of these were lined around the inside of the tree, many fairly new.

In this ring of stones was a grave marked Akane Kiryu. The grave itself was not unlike the others...but its inhabitant was.

Six feet under the surface, Akane Kiryu began to move.


	4. The Celebration

Yes! I have Japanese formalities (jumps up and down)! Many thanks to Dying Redemption for helping me out with that :D. I'll _try_ to use them properly.

Uh…yeah. Here we go!

* * *

Night crept over All God's Village. Hikari Kiryu, the late Yoshitatsu Kiryu's niece, sat in the Sliding Screen Room overlooking the area known as "Kiryu-Tachibana", the place between her house and the house of Itsuki Tachibana. She sat at her desk, reading, pausing every few minutes to stretch.

She had been thinking about her uncle a lot lately. A few days ago, she had found a note in his study that he had written shortly before his…death…talking about "the eyes". She had burned it – just thinking about its existence made her nervous, so why not destroy it?

Right now was one of those times. She took a drink of water and looked around the room. How many times had he sat here, rifled through the (many) books on the shelf to her left?

She began shaking her head. "Stop it!" she rebuked herself. "This isn't going to get anywhere…"

His memory, however, managed to cling to her mind. She finally closed her book and propped her head on her hands.

"Alright," she whispered. "I'm going to go to slee-"

_WHY KILL WHY KILL WHY KILL WHY KILL WHY KILL WHY KILL WHY KILL_

She screamed. What on earth was _that_? Her mind immediately jumped to the journal – Akane Kiryu's diary, which she had also burned -but that still didn't explain anything.

She ran out onto the bridge connecting the twin houses and looked down.

When she saw her dead cousin walking under her, she began to scream again.

* * *

The next day the held the celebration. Ryozo and Seijiro were swarmed by adoring villagers. Most of them were overjoyed that _historians_ had actually come to visit, although a few were merely excited that _anyone_ had come. Seijiro noticed a few people who seemed moderately detached, though – one was Osaka-san, a lady with a slight hunchback (which he attributed to her three young children), another was Kiryu-san, who claimed that she had gotten little sleep last night.

Ryozo and Itsuki sat with the twins Yae and Sae. The two girls seemed extremely nervous, but managed to act as though nothing out of the ordinary was going on. Ryozo wondered why they needed him so badly – and why Itsuki claimed he needed them, too. Of course, he would do anything to help his friend, no matter the reason…

Ryokan Kurosawa checked on the four of them often. All four of them knew why (_He's already nervous_, Yae mouthed to the rest of them), but they didn't know what they could really do about it.

Eventually, Sae excused herself. Yae gave her an inquisitive look – _"Do you want me to go with you?" _– and she shook her head slightly. She walked halfway across Whisper Bridge and stood facing the water, taking the same stance as her father had the day before.

_I don't want to run…but I have to. She can't…she can't…why can't we just become one? It'd be so easy…why can't she…_

She began to cry. Why couldn't Yae perform the Ritual? They could be together always, like they had promised each other…

When Sae returned to the ceremony (no, celebration; ceremony had another use in this village), Seijiro was taking pictures with his camera. She asked Yae if she wanted to get theirs taken, and she said yes. The picture came out oddly – Sae's face was twisted, impossible to see.

"I can take another, if you like…" Seijiro offered.

Sae shook her head. "No, thank you. I think this may make a more interesting memory." She secretly found it hilarious, but didn't know if that would offend Makabe-san or not.

"Maybe you could persuade Chitose to take one with you," Yae suggested.

Itsuki raised his eyebrows. "I doubt it," he said. "She was barely able to take one when Mutsuki was with us. Now I think she'd feel too vulnerable."

Ryozo sat back in his chair, trying to banish the image of Itsuki performing the Ritual. When he could not, he excused himself and went to get a drink of water.

_We need to get together again,_ he thought. _All of us. But how?

* * *

_

Ryokan rested uneasily that night. He was plagued by dreams of the Kusabi failing, of the Malice coming, of All God's Village being destroyed. Every time he fell asleep, the dreams would begin, and they would terrorize him until he awoke, panting and dripping with sweat.

The fifth time he awoke, he heard a door slamming shut. He turned his head…

Akane Kiryu stood before him, her hand stretched out, pointing accusingly at him. "You have three days…" she murmured, "until it is too late…"

A black cloud enveloped her, and she disappeared.


	5. The Hammer Key

I'm baaaaaack. Fatal Frame Three has finally come out, so I've been playing that and neglecting other things, such as…well, this. My thanks to the anonymous Thais for reviewing. I'm a Sae fan, myself. ; )

Here's the story. Don't forget to leave a review on you way out: X D

Itsuki sat in his room, reading through various old texts about the village. After some research, he had learned that there was one lone exit from All God's Village – a door behind the altar at the shrine. Unfortunately, the books had not as of yet told him how to unlock it. He was tired, but he kept reading – what was a little exhaustion compared with his brother's forgiveness

(_And sweet release_)

and Yae and Sae's safety? He clutched his forehead, trying to concentrate.

Ryokan had told the village that morning that they intended to hold the Hidden Ceremony in two days. That was the night he intended to help Yae and Sae leave the village. Assuming, of course, that he could find the way to unlock the door…

Kurosawa-san was suspicious already. He was frightened and paranoid that someone would tell Makabe-san the nature of the Hidden Ceremony…and, of all the villagers, Itsuki was the one Kurosawa-san suspected most. He had a suspicion that he might be locked up again, as he was with the last people…

The door slowly slid open, and Chitose walked over to him. Itsuki smiled as he heard the chiming of the bells he had given her. How long ago had that been?

"Hey, Chitose," he grinned. He turned to face her. "How are you?"

"I'm fine…" she said. "I just wanted to say goodnight…"

An idea then struck him. Chitose! She could help him!

"Chitose? Can you do me a favor?"

She tilted her head. "What?"

Itsuki paused for a second. She was so shy…would she be able to do what he needed her to do? He decided he had no real choice. They needed to find the way out before the Hidden Ceremony, so that they could rescue Ryozo and his teacher.

He picked a key up off of his desk. "This is the key to my room," he said. "I want you to give it to my friend Ryozo the next time you see him."

Chitose's face brightened. "Okay!" she exclaimed. Itsuki smile to himself; how could he not love this girl?

He handed her the key and she attached it to her bell necklace. After she had left the room, Itsuki turned back to his book. Within five minutes, he had fallen asleep.

Seijiro, meanwhile, spent his night digging through the various books he found in the Ceremony Master's mansion. He had found many references to a "pit to Hell" or a "Hellish Abyss", and had learned that the villagers had a taboo on the name; they would never say it and never write it, and under absolutely no circumstances were they to look down it. He found references to a group of people called "Mourners" that had lost their sight and dressed in rags. These people were the protectors of the pit, and were blinded so that they would never look inside. People who had managed to see it, as well as "sinners" or criminals, were made to be Mourners.

And yet there was nothing on any of their ceremonies. He let out a sigh of frustration. Of course, he could see it later, but he wanted to know more _now_.

As he set his current book down, there was a light tapping on the door. Seijiro looked up and called, "Come in!"

The twin girls walked in, Yae holding a piece of paper in her hand.

"Is there something I can do for you?" Seijiro asked.

Yae took a deep breath while Sae noticeably stiffened. "We…" Yae began. "We…we…think…"

"Yes?"

"We…our father, he…" Yae's body trembled. "He…I…we…" She handed him the paper. When he unrolled it, he saw that it was a map of the mansion, a red X marked by the basement door. Also inside the paper was a key with a hammer symbol on it.

"What is this?" he asked.

Sae made a sobbing noise. Yae's fingers were vibrating strongly. He looked at them for a moment, trying to understand.

After five seconds, Yae made a small cry and both sisters turned and ran out of the room. Seijiro looked back down at the paper.

_What is this?_

In the back of Kurosawa Mansion, there is a tower. This room has several ropes and more than a few blades inside of it, as well as a small altar in the center. There are two sets of doors – one leads to Kurosawa Mansions, the other to the Hellish Abyss.

In the center of this room stood Akane Kiryu. Blood flowed in several directions; she would have a lot of cleaning to do, but what of it? It was blood, and she needed it.

Two days. They had two days, and then the Malice would come. Unless, of course, they offered a Kusabi…or, even better, twins. Kurosawa's girls looked awfully nice…

Akane made a deep grunt that sounded vaguely like a laugh. It was very masculine, and by far the most disgusting thing anyone in All God's Village could have ever imagined.

She began to feast.


	6. The Bell Key

Hey, everyone! I felt an absolute need to update today, so…I'm updating today. I _know_ I forgot to insert dividers on Chapter 5. Don't make comments.

Don't worry, DR – I'll try to keep the Hidden Ceremony short. : ) Not that I'm there yet, but you know…

BTW – I'm having trouble getting certain symbols to transfer to Fanfiction, which is why I haven't used asterisks to refer to the Hellish Abyss and sacrifices. There may be a few erroneous smiley faces as well. Oh, well…

* * *

The next day Itsuki was gone. He and Chitose had woken up to the sound of pounding on the front door. When Itsuki answered, Veiled Priests were on the other side. They demanded that he go with them to the storehouse, and he agreed.

As he walked out the door, he shot a concerned look at the closet.

"Stay safe," he mouthed.

Five minutes after they left, Chitose slid the door open and crawled out, the bells around her neck chiming.

* * *

Ryozo, in the meantime, reclined on the floor of the guest bedroom of Kurosawa Mansion.

_That feeling…it's stronger now…we can't stay here much longer. I should go see Itsuki again. He may know the way out by now._

As he stood up, Seijiro walked in. "Munakata…I'm glad I found you."

Ryozo raised his eyebrows inquiringly. "What's wrong?"

Seijiro scratched the back of his neck. "How much do you want to see this ceremony?" he asked.

"I would like to see it," he said, "but I'm willing to sit it out if they will only accept one witness."

Seijiro looked at him for several seconds. Then he said, "I need you to leave."

Ryozo was not surprised. His teacher had a bad feeling, too…but, unlike Ryozo, his drive to see the Hidden Ceremony was far stronger than his sense of self-preservation.

Ryozo nodded his head. "When?"

"Right now."

After two more seconds of silence, the two men began to pack Ryozo's belongings.

* * *

Ryozo stepped into the Tachibana House. The place had an empty feel to it that he didn't quite understand. It was very much like that evil feeling that he got from the village…

"Itsuki?" he called. No answer.

He crossed the threshold into the house. For a second he thought he heard chimes – or bells? He began to walk towards the sound, wondering what it could be.

His search led him to the Raised Tatami Room. The sound had definitely come from there, but…there was nothing in there. Some old film, some medicine…it didn't make

_You won't leave me alone again, right?_

He gasped. Who had said that? He thought he heard a muffled squeal, but couldn't place it. The voice sounded like…

"Sae?"

He looked down the passage. Nothing. He shook his head. "Stop being silly," he muttered to himself.

He finally found Itsuki's room, but it was locked. No matter how much he forced it, it wouldn't open.

After a half hour of fruitless searching, he gave up and left the house. When he reached Misono Hill, he saw an amazing sight.

The Shinto Gate was clear.

He could leave the village…

* * *

Chitose crawled out of her hiding place under the Raised Tatami Room. Her face was drenched in tears; she had spent the last thirty minutes crying. She fled to Itsuki's room and unlocked the door.

"I'm sorry, Itsuki…" she whispered. "But I can fix it…"

She began to read the books where her brother had left off.

* * *

Yae and Sae were sitting in the Family Altar Room. Neither of them spoke – there was no need for words. The twins sat together and waited for Makabe-san to go by, hoping that he would leave before they came for him.

He didn't.

After twenty minutes of waiting, they could hear people coming. Yae put her ear up to the doors and listened. At first there was nothing except a dragging sound, but eventually she heard voices.

"At least tell me where you're taking me," Seijiro said. She closed her eyes. They _had_ caught him.

"Silence!" the twins' father commanded.

The sounds began to fade, and she heard the door at the end of the hall slam. The cell…

"He needed to see it…" she whispered. Sae closed her eyes and dropped her head.

"I…" Sae began. "He shouldn't have to die…"

Yae looked back at her sister, who was beginning to shake. "Yae, let's hurry," she whimpered. "If we stay much longer, I won't…I won't have the strength…to leave…"

Yae leaned forward and held her sister. They sat there for several minutes.

And as they sat there, Akane Kiryu leered down at them.

"They will be delicious…" she muttered to herself.


	7. Family Crests

Hello, all! I don't have a whole lot to put here (yawns), except to again thank Dying Redemption for reviewing. And, once again, if anyone else has anything to say, feel free. I accept criticism, but if you flame me, I WILL SIC SEIJIRO ON YOU! (Does pathetic imitation of Sae laugh).

* * *

Hikari Kiryu lay awake in her room. She had been hearing strange whispers all over the place since she saw Akane (or was it Azami? They were so hard to tell apart!) and had been unable to sleep for any reasonable amount of time. Most of them seemed to originate from the study, where Yoshitatsu had made his dolls.

_What was he saying? Something about that piece of paper I burned…the eyes…and…_

And then there were the periodic outbursts of WHY KILL WHY KILL that seemed to come from everywhere at once.

And the projector had started working by itself.

And the head she had found in one of the storage areas.

And the front door had stopped opening. She had to use the one under the bridge, which was _far_ too close to where she had seen her cousin…

"I have to get out of here…" she murmured to herself. "Have to go…get away…"

_Must make the dolls_

_The eyes are the key!_

_WHY KILL WHY KILL_

_Kill that stupid doll!_

"The…doll?" Hikari clapped her hands over her face. "What doll?"

_You don't need a replacement for me_

"I don't understand!" she shouted to the ceiling. "What do you want from me?"

_Kill it…

* * *

_

As odd as it sounds, the prison was an amazing place for Seijiro. There were books all over the place! Shelves and shelves of information for him to see…

He read and read. The Crimson Sacrifice and the repentance and the twin Shrine Maidens and Altar Twins and the Kusabi

His eyes flicked back over to that part. The Kusabi? He hadn't heard that one before…

Slowly, Seijiro began to understand his fate. The Hidden Ceremony…sacrificing outsiders…

"Am I…to be a Kusabi?"

At first, he was afraid, but after a few seconds, he broke out in a huge grin. "To see Hell with my own eyes," he whispered to himself. "That would be a _real_ experience…"

* * *

Itsuki sat impatiently in his cell, writing in his diary. How was he supposed to do anything from in here? He'd be able to break out to help Yae and Sae escape – that is, if Ryozo had found out how to escape. But what if he hadn't. Or, worse yet, what if he had left? Itsuki wasn't sure what he would do then. They could conceivably break the door open, but that wouldn't be the best way to do things…and, besides, Sae had a game leg. They couldn't hurt it _before_ the escape.

He ran a hand through his white hair. What was he supposed to do?

Wait.

"I _hate_ waiting!" he shouted.

* * *

Chitose, meanwhile, was knocking on the door to the Osaka House. She had read that there were four stone tablets – one for each family – that were required to open the Kureha Shrine door, and knew that she would have to get them for her brother. She really didn't want to be here, though - Osaka-san made her really nervous – even more than anyone else, except maybe the Ceremony Master. Her hunchback was so frightening, and her hair was always hanging in her face.

The door slid open, and Chitose let out an audible sigh of relief. It wasn't Osaka-san, but one of her children. The boy looked at her in surprise.

"Never see you out," he commented.

"Y-yeah…uh, can I come inside?"

"Sure." The boy stepped away from the door. "What do you need?"

"I…uh, I think that my brother left something here a while ago. When he visited Osaka-san and brought her some bread?"

"Oh, right." The boy (Chitose had no idea what his name was; she didn't know any names except Yae and Sae) turned and walked into the Sunken Fireplace Room. "Well, we're playing Demon Tag right now. You want to join?"

"N-no…thanks…"

"Alright. Just let me know if you need help with anything." The boy turned and left her alone.

Chitose slipped over to one of the doors and opened it. She came into what looked like a storage room. "So many boxes…" she murmured.

But what she needed was lying right outside of one. The big red one.

A small, round stone with a pattern on it.

Chitose bent down and picked it up. "Osaka Crest…"

* * *

Next was the Kiryu Crest. When she asked Kiryu-san if she had a small, round stone, she woman immediately went and got it. Normally Chitose didn't mind Kiryu-san a whole lot, but she was _really_ scary right now…

Hikari eventually walked back to the door (the back one – the front one was still jammed) and placed the crest in Chitose's hand. She then shut the door without saying another word.

Chitose took a deep breath. Only one more…

* * *

She stepped into the cemetery. The Tsuchihara family had been gone for a while now, but their crest was supposed to be in the small shrine here.

She walked past the Old Tree, into the cemetery proper. The shrine was easy to find, and easy to open.

"The last crest…"

She held it to her chest. She had them! She had atoned for her earlier failure! Her brother could do what he needed to do now…

"You…"

Chitose whirled around, barely keeping a hold of the Tsuchihara Crest. Standing in front of her was a girl she vaguely recognized, and knew to be dead.

Akane.

"YOU CAN'T TAKE THEM FROM ME! I WANT THEM! I MUST EAT THEIR PAIN!"

Akane began to advance. Chitose let out a shriek and turned to run away. She sped across the bridge and to Misono Hill, past the Osaka House and to the storehouse. The veiled priests standing guard looked at her and then at the apparition behind her and began to chant.

Itsuki pulled the door open. "What's going on?" he shouted. He saw the girl chasing his sister and began to charge forward.

The two collided. For a moment, Chitose knew that it was all worth it – that her brother's love was worth anything. She pressed the crests into his hand and he quickly stuffed them into his kimono.

They held each other for several minutes as Akane Kiryu fled from the priests.

"Thank you, Chitose," he whispered.

* * *

All right! One more chapter completed! BTW – I didn't go over how she found the Tachibana Crest because all it would have involved was her going into one of the storage areas and digging around for it. So that's why she had four crests to give her brother. I just felt like pointing that out.

The Repentance draws ever closer…


	8. Sacrifice

KusabiMakabe: "Alrighty! Chapter eight is here…complete with the Hidden Ceremony!"

Seijiro: "Can I take my camera with me?"

KusabiMakabe: "Uh, I don't know…what does it say in the script?"

Masumi: "It says that I find it at the Kurosawa Mansion and take it back to the Osaka House before I die. Hey, why aren't I in this story, anyway?"

KusabiMakabe: (sweatdrop)

Masumi: "Wha- I'm not in it either! YOU IDIOT!" (Smacks KusabiMakabe with Black Bag).

KusabiMakabe: "You get your own story later!"

Seijiro: "Stop it!" (Morphs into Rope Man)

Ryokan: "Oh, yeah?" (Morphs into Mummy Attack Phase)

KusabiMakabe: (clutches forehead) "Guys…"

Yeah, that was pretty random...I hope you enjoyed that little dose of humor. By the way, Masumi and Miyako really won't be in this story, although I intend to write one for them later…just so's ya know.

* * *

He only had one chance. One chance to get out while the Veiled Priests were gone at the Hidden Ceremony.

Itsuki took a deep breath and walked into the Kurosawa House. He had been let out shortly after Makabe-san's capture – after all, how could he foil their plan now? Of course, they didn't expect him to steal Yae and Sae away…

The twins met him at the entrance. Sae had tears rolling down her face and Yae had an air of grim determination. He knew how hard this must be for them…but he also knew that they needed to be saved. Especially since they, unlike so many others, actually wanted to get out of this…hellhole…

Together they left the house and left for Kureha Shrine.

* * *

_Is it really worth this?_

Seijiro hung limply from the contraption at the top of the hexagonal room. The Cutting Chamber. It hurt so badly, his body was covered in gashes, he arm was falling off, and the ropes were so tight…

_Is seeing Hell itself really worth this?_

He looked down at the Veiled Priests below him. The Ceremony Master stared back up at him with a masked expression.

_He's sorry…and yet, is he? He doesn't want to…but he's very willing to. I wish I could have published my notes…they were so…interesting…_

He held himself together through sheer willpower. He needed to survive to see this portal to Hell. He needed to see it. He needed to see the source of whatever being possessed the drooling little girl standing behind Kurosawa-san…

_I am what I have researched for so long…I am…folklore…

* * *

_

"You go on without me."

Itsuki had led them out. The twins finally had their freedom, as long as the villagers didn't find them now.

Yae looked to her sister. Sae seemed strong enough right now. At least ready enough to not stop and have second thought _during_ the escape. As for her, all she needed was to get away from that place.

"Don't look back!" Itsuki called as they began to run.

They ran for several minutes. Sae had to struggle to stay caught up with her stronger sister. One time Sae called to her, asking her to slow down, but Yae merely told her to speed up.

The ran for so long…Sae caught a few strange glimpses of something. A little girl that looked just like Yae when she was five…

She kept running. She had to keep running. If she stopped Yae would leave her. She almost started crying again at the mere thought.

_What if she leaves me behind? What if she-_

She heard a slipping noise. For a second she wondered what happened, and then she knew; she had stepped on an uneven part of the path.

Sae tipped to her right and slid down the mountain path.

* * *

_Y…_

A door opening. It's creaky, so it must be the Tachibana one.

_Yae…_

"Have you found her?"

"No. She must have escaped by now…"

_Yae…_

Dim light. Leg…it hurt so much…

"How are we supposed to have the Sacrifice without the other?"

_Yae!_

Sae's body suddenly awoke. Her head shot up and she took in her surroundings. It was the foyer of the Tachibana House, all right.

"Itsuki!" she screamed.

The villagers stared at her. One of them let out a deep sigh.

"You're awake…" He stepped forward. "Come. We need to show you something."

They took her to the storehouse. The head villager turned to Sae and gave her a sad look. "I'm sorry," he said.

They opened the doors and Sae let out an enormous scream.

At first, she didn't believe what she was seeing. Itsuki – he couldn't have. He had lived for so long…

But it was true. Itsuki Tachibana had hung himself.

She fell over. Why wouldn't she? Her sister was gone, and her best friend was dead. Oh, she should have known he would do it once they were gone

_Sweet release_

They never should have run away. It was all their fault for running away.

She hands close around her arms. She tried to shake them off, but it was no use. The head villager started towards the doors to close them again.

A high-pitched shriek filled the air. Everyone turned toward the newcomer, wondering who else was there…

Chitose.

There were ten seconds of silence, and then Chitose began screaming.

"YAE! IT WAS YAE! YAE KILLED MY BROTHER!"

Tow of the villagers went to the girl and lifted her up. She flailed about, the bells around her neck chiming constantly.

Sae closed her eyes.

_It's all our fault…

* * *

_

Seijiro had lost all of his senses by now. He knew he was being carried somewhere, but outside of that he couldn't tell anything. Even the pain was vanishing.

His sight began to return eventually. He looked around at his demolished body. So many cuts…so much blood…

"Am…"

Ryokan looked at him.

"Am I…a good…Kusabi?"

Ryokan began to laugh; specifically, he laughed and cried at the same time.

"Yes, Makabe-san. You are a good Kusabi."

Seijiro smiled.

They stopped. Seijiro slowly turned his head.

And saw.

_It…it's just what I thought it would be…_

Ryokan carried him to the edge of the Abyss. Seijiro wasn't sure, but he thought that he felt a small embrace from the Ceremony Master.

And then he was falling.

* * *

An hour later, Sae was brought into the chamber where Seijiro Makabe had been tortured earlier that night. She looked around at all the blood

_It's our fault for running away_

and then looked at the ceiling. Suspended from it was a crimson rope.

She stepped forward.

"Yae…"

They placed her in the noose and let her fall. What her sister should have been doing to her a rope was doing instead.

_Yae…_

Could she still save the village? Could she still appease the Abyss?

Could she still become a butterfly?

_You'll come for me, Yae._

_I know you will.

* * *

_

Ryokan looked at his daughter's corpse. The red mark on her neck had not come from her twin's hands…and that fact was somehow worse than the fact of her death. He felt his own neck. The red mark that he had borne since his own Crimson Sacrifice…

"Sae…please…save our village."

He picked her body up and threw her into the Abyss.

And, one minute later, she came back out.

* * *

So? You like? You hate? Review!

I know that that chapter was a bit disjointed, but there were so many things to go over…the next one will probably be a little crazy, too. Oh, well. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed that. Oh, and I don't think that Ryokan was actually the person who threw her into the Abyss, but I thought I'd take a liberty there since that would be a little more emotional…

Valete (Which is Latin for good-bye)!


	9. The Repentance

The girl that was once Akane Kiryu walked back into the Old Tree. Her face was locked in a kind of profane ecstasy – the delight of utter evil. She ambled over to the dug-up grave that she had once belonged to and lay down.

The earth began to cover her once again.

* * *

Sae floated above the Hellish Abyss, her laughter filling the cavern. The Veiled Priests watched in horror as she began to float forward, the air around her shimmering. Some of them ran; others were frozen to the spot in abject terror.

"Well?" she whispered in a deep voice that was barely recognizable as her own. "WHO'S WEAK NOW?" She reared back and continued laughing. One of the Veiled Priests retched.

Sae turned to the man, who immediately shrank back in fear.

She disappeared.

The Mourner standing at the back of the Abyss let out an unearthly shriek. The priests looked and saw the crazed ghost standing behind him.

The cavern filled with fire.

* * *

Ryokan stepped into the Family Altar room and collapsed not far from where his daughters had sat only hours before. He had killed his brother, and now his daughter. What next? He covered his face with his hands. Not to mention Makabe-san, who had died so joyfully…

Everything lived for it.

Everything died for it.

So why was it so hard to accept?

He shook his head. No use thinking about it. It could only condemn –

"Hello, Father."

He whirled around at that voice – so unlike his daughter's, yet so similar. Sae stood behind him, her once white kimono now spattered with blood.

"There's someone that wants to say hello to you, Father," she whispered. Slowly her face lit up in a malignant grin. "He's been waiting to tell you something…"

Ryokan's lungs began to fail. Some force was pressing against his chest…he couldn't breathe, he couldn't move, he couldn't run…

The world grew gray, presumably from exhaustion (although Sae knew differently), and a new figure appeared next to his daughter. He managed to pull his head up to see…

So many figures wailing…mourning…in so much pain…all the Kusabis sacrificed before…

And, in front of them all, was Seijiro Makabe.

Ryokan's sight failed him. Within five minutes, he was dead.

* * *

Sae walked to the Tachibana House. Itsuki would be there, of course – he wasn't _really _dead, he wouldn't ever have killed himself, she just saw it wrong like the silly girl she was. She laughed the same laugh that had plagued the village all that night. She walked through the front door and into the foyer. Itsuki would be in his room – or the Tatami Rooms, maybe? She decided to start with his room, where he had spent so much time studying how to escape.

As she roamed the house, she heard a closet door shut. Her head turned and the mad glint filed her eyes.

_No, please don't_

She turned and began to walk towards the closet. What delightful surprise waited inside?

_Don't you dare!_

She heard the chiming of bells. Bells? Who would shake bells when they were trying to hide? Her grin widened. Only a child would do that…

_Please, not her, it's our fault, leave her alone_

She could practically see her now…a little girl, wearing a crimson kimono. The bells would be around her neck…a gift from her dearly departed older brother. Was it because she was deaf? No, almost blind…that was it…

She reached the door

_NO!_

And her head began to pound. For a minute Sae was herself again – no madness, no Malice – and thenit returned.

But the haze…damn, the haze wasn't there! The girl had run away.

"She's gone…"

Sae turned around and began searching again.

She never did find Chitose hiding in that closet. And, to tell the truth, she didn't really want to.

After all, it was their fault for running away.

* * *

The girl hid behind the kimono on the second floor of the Osaka House. Her mother had told her that Sae wanted to play Demon Tag with them, and she had to be very sure not to get tagged. But this was getting pretty boring…

"I'm hungry," she whimpered. How much longer would it be until Sae found her? Or, better yet, gave up?

She slowly slid into a deep sleep. Unbeknownst to her, her two brothers fell asleep at the same moment. Her mother managed to last another five minutes in the box she had crammed herself and her youngest child into, but eventually she too fell to the Malice.

None of them ever woke up.

* * *

_They must have been so sad_

_Why do you kill?_

_I must make the dolls_

_The eyes are the key!_

_Why kill?_

_I must keep them safe with me!_

_I don't want to kill you._

Hikari ran through the Kiryu House, clutching her head. "Leave me alone!" she cried out. She ran into the study, and he was there. She ran into the storage rooms, and Azami was there. She even ran onto the bridge connecting their house with the Tachibana one, and got to see a woman she didn't know leap off and break her neck. She stormed back into the house and ran to the stairway.

"I want out! Get me out of this house! I WANT OUT!"

She barreled to the window.

_Fly._

_You know_

_WHY KILL WHY KILL_

_That you can_

_WHY KILL WHY KILL_

_Fly out_

_WHY KILL WHY KILL_

_Of this place._

Her body stopped trembling. She looked up at the window. The _open_ wondow leading out of the house. It was high, but…if she flew…

She leapt off of the stairwell. There was a sickening crash as she landed on the ground below…

She slipped into unconsciousness as her four limbs shattered.

* * *

_You'll come back for me, Yae…_

_I know you will._

_We promised…

* * *

_

Ryozo stepped back to the village. Well, it used to be the village – now it was forest, just like everything else. There was still a Shinto gate, but that was all. No houses, no altar…nothing.

At first it was faint, but he was _sure_ he heard crying. He looked around, and there she was.

Yae.

He walked forward and touched her shoulder. Initially there was no response, but she eventually raised her head and looked at him.

"…What?" she choked. "Who are you?..."

His brow furrowed. Who was he? She didn't remember him?

"Do you…can you tell me…what's happened to me?"

Amnesia?

Ryozo held her close to him. "I don't know, Yae…"

Yae looked up at him. "Yae…that's…me…"

Ryozo closed his eyes.

"Yae…" he said. "Would you like to come with me?"

* * *

Okay! One chapter left… (Cries uncontrollably).

Oh, well.

Again, the whole Woman In Box thing is probably wrong…but I figured it'd be a little stupid for her to be an all new character for one tenth of a chapter.

I hope you liked this chappie. I'll try to get the next one up quickly…ciao!


	10. Chapter Zero: Ascension

How long had it been? Months? Years? Decades?

Centuries, even?

The village was so quiet. The only thing that anyone ever heard was the insane laughter of an insane woman. They kept reliving that horrible day when they died…

Every now and then, a person would come and visit. Just recently, they had gotten two – a couple. Of course, they died – the Malice saw to it.

But, one fateful night, a new visitor came.

Yae.

* * *

It was Yae. She was so sure of it…the other girl…it was _her_, Sae. Yae had come back, and brought her memories of her sister with her…

Sae believed this. Her madness had fully consumed her at this point. All she wanted was to die at her sister's hands…

She called to them. She would engulf herself in her phantom, and bring Yae to the Hellish Abyss so they could perform the Ritual.

And save the village.

It was their fault. They needed to fix it…

The other girl was easy to inhabit – of course, it _was_ Sae, no doubt, about it – and Yae willingly came to the Hellish Abyss. She had to fight her way through the Mourners and Seijiro, but she came.

Sae looked at her. Yae looked back.

"I kept waiting…in a dark, dark place…"

Yae looked at her sadly. _I know you don't want to do this, Yae…but we need to. So we can be together forever. You'll see…_

"Shall we begin?"

* * *

That night, the night that the Crimson Sacrifice was finally carried out, the village was saved.

Chitose Tachibana was reunited with her brothers.

Hikari Kiryu's limbs were healed, and she regained her sanity.

Akane was reunited with her sister and father, whom she had killed.

Ryokan Kurosawa saw his brother.

Seijiro Makabe saw Heaven, too.

And Yae and Sae were together.

Forever.

Mio and Mayu Amakura walked through the village. The light was beginning to creep over the horizon – something that had not happened in a very long time. The spirits of the deceased that had been attacking them so recently were now raining praise down on them. They smiled at each other.

"Mio?" the elder twin asked.

"Yes?"

"Do you think…do you think that…maybe…you were possessed, too?"

Mio sat and thought for a second. "I think it was more of a mutual decision. I think she was _with_ me, not _in_ me…I guess." She looked back up at the sky.

Mayu embraced her sister. "I'm glad…that you came…"

Mio smiled. "You know I hate it when you forgive me for stuff."

The two of them laughed together as the last of the spirits rose to the sky. They felt a sense of reality wash over them as the village reentered the earthly plane.

The sisters stood up and began the trek home.

Yae and Sae watched the sisters leave, and then they, too, left for their new home.

* * *

That was based off of the Xbox ending. Which, BTW, I haven't actually seen, so it's probably not perfect. But, hey, it's still happy.

I know it was short, but it's an epilogue. Don't complain. : )

All right. This story is finished…but I'll write more! I'm thinking about writing a story about Miyako and Masumi, since they got nothing in this story…


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